Do we deserve $32+/hour

[browniehound]

Mine doesn't...I'm sure some preloaders are awesome but the one who loads my truck most days is awful. I find 3-4 misloads in my truck on average per day (in a P700), 3-5 packages fouind on the wrong shelf per day, and toward the end of his shift he throws 1-3000s on the floor somewhere in the middle of the truck under the bulk because he is just "throwing it in." Anything a little heavy he throws on the floor out of laziness instead of putting on the shelf, even if it is a tiny box. When putting bulk on the floor he doesn't put it below the shelf it should be on, he just puts it wherever he happens to drop it. He has flat out told me "I am retiring in 5 months so I don't give a friend*." I typically have to fix his screw-ups for 15 minutes off the clock (yes I realize I shouldn't touch a box before my shift starts) before my morning meeting, then finish loading my own truck on the clock for an average of 20 minutes after the PCM while all the other drivers are outside doing a pretrip or on their way to their routes....I know there are lots of good preloaders but I rarely get lucky enough to get one.

Sorry, I've been blessed with a great pre-loader. He isn't perfect but he is very close. When he makes mistakes I know where to find them. For example if that sorry excuse for a pal label stamp says 3794 on the parcel i will look in the 7000 section and its there because the 3 was smudged.

This pre-loader never misloads either. Maybe 1 a month.

The company should treat these people like gold. A good load can turn an eleven hour day to the lower side of 10.

Why did UPS go with the stamp? To cut jobs I know, but nobody can read those things and the smallest little smudge or a half blind sorter that forgot his contacts will screw too many of our customers

 

[browniehound]

UPS does not want happy drivers. The way we are treated now, no respect at all,UPS will never again produce happy drivers. IMO

I'm happy. I don't let them bother me. And they don't when I don't friend up. Life as a UPS driver is pretty damn good. Doesn't matter to me what the company thinks.

 

[browniehound]

While there is no denying the physical nature and amount of stress that we deal with on a daily basis, we must keep in mind that ours is a job which requires only a driver's license and HS diploma. Yes, we are overpaid----I think a more appropriate wage would be closer to $25/hr.

Upstate, you make a very good point. I want to agree with you, but I can't. I get that all it takes is a HS diploma and a license to work at UPS, but I have given my life and soul to UPS for 14 years. Thats what it takes too. Either you're in or out.

I'm in.

 

[browniehound]

I'm in management and I think you guys earn every cent. Overpaid? Not a chance, that job is incredibly difficult and very high in responsibility.

liar

 

[browniehound]

The OP asked if we felt that we deserve $32/hr and I gave an honest answer---no, I think that we are overpaid at $32/hr and that a more reasonable wage would be $25/hr with profit sharing.

Its a wonderful thing that your opinion means nothing in contract negotiations.

 

[cosmo1]

Mine doesn't...I'm sure some preloaders are awesome but the one who loads my truck most days is awful. I find 3-4 misloads in my truck on average per day (in a P700), 3-5 packages fouind on the wrong shelf per day, and toward the end of his shift he throws 1-3000s on the floor somewhere in the middle of the truck under the bulk because he is just "throwing it in." Anything a little heavy he throws on the floor out of laziness instead of putting on the shelf, even if it is a tiny box. When putting bulk on the floor he doesn't put it below the shelf it should be on, he just puts it wherever he happens to drop it. He has flat out told me "I am retiring in 5 months so I don't give a friend*." I typically have to fix his screw-ups for 15 minutes off the clock (yes I realize I shouldn't touch a box before my shift starts) before my morning meeting, then finish loading my own truck on the clock for an average of 20 minutes after the PCM while all the other drivers are outside doing a pretrip or on their way to their routes....I know there are lots of good preloaders but I rarely get lucky enough to get one.

H*ll, that's a good load for me, and I do not spend one minute off the clock fixing anything.

 

[Future]

I know you have a physically demanding job and need to interact well with the customers.
However, the question you have to ask yourself...

If you were to leave, how hard would UPS have filling your position with a person that can do your job at your pay rate (including benefitcs, pension etc)

If the answer is difficult.. then you are underpaid.
if the answer is moderate.. then pay is appropriate to demand of job
If the answer is Easy.. then you are overpaid.

That is true for pretty much everyone in every job, hourly or managment.

They cant find people in our building to last. Last peak 2 out of 20 Made it through and they are runners who will either get into a serious accident or injure themselves

 

[bryanturner100]

why is this even a?.we deserve what ever the contract gives us.This is the most retarded ?.You should give half your check to a pt in your building.

 

[Anonymous 10]

Yes we deserve every penny we make and then some.

 

[LongTimeComing]

liar

I am in management, and I have stated that they deserve every penny and more. Why is this hard to believe? Oh, right, you probably work for the WORSTEST MANUHGERS EVARRRR!!!!!!

why is this even a?.we deserve what ever the contract gives us.This is the most retarded ?.You should give half your check to a pt in your building.

​um...what?

 

[bluehdmc]

I know you have a physically demanding job and need to interact well with the customers.
However, the question you have to ask yourself...

If you were to leave, how hard would UPS have filling your position with a person that can do your job at your pay rate (including benefitcs, pension etc)

If the answer is difficult.. then you are underpaid.
if the answer is moderate.. then pay is appropriate to demand of job
If the answer is Easy.. then you are overpaid.

That is true for pretty much everyone in every job, hourly or managment.

Including the Board of Directors?

 

[twoweeled]

Without a doubt, YES! At one time we made real good money. Above many. Not anymore. Of course if you limit the comparison only to truck drivers - well let's face it, there a lot of truck drivers not making enough to support their tractor, or themselves. $33 is a living wage, nothing more. Many of us make good incomes because we work 11 and 12 hours a day, and get harassed relentlessly! When you work 12's, you have no life! You can rationalize it to yourself, but you have no life. That's why we make what we do. WE deserve that, and then some! they want to harass, then it's gonna cost them.

 

[yeldarb]

Without a doubt, YES! At one time we made real good money. Above many. Not anymore. Of course if you limit the comparison only to truck drivers - well let's face it, there a lot of truck drivers not making enough to support their tractor, or themselves. $33 is a living wage, nothing more. Many of us make good incomes because we work 11 and 12 hours a day, and get harassed relentlessly! When you work 12's, you have no life! You can rationalize it to yourself, but you have no life. That's why we make what we do. WE deserve that, and then some! they want to harass, then it's gonna cost them.

It can be rationalized as a means to an end. Aside from my mortgage, I have no debt. I could afford "toys", but would rather focus on being able to retire at my 30 years. We have lots of guys that have done their time, but still are working because they were more concerned with having fun, now, and havent prepared for being able to retire. I would rather have a longer retirement, (hopefully), and not be worried about finances because I worked longer hours when I was younger, and put money that I didn't need into my house, retirement accounts and not into a new car every few years or a boat or any other money sucking hobby.

 

[beentheredonethat]

Including the Board of Directors?

Everybody.. BTW.. the board of directors really isn't paid all that much per year when you consider their expertise. In 2011, they are paid 90K as a retainer, 150K in stock grants and 15-20K more if they are a committee chairperson. So roughly each is paid what we pay 2 drivers if you include salary, HW, Pension etc. You need to realize, the board of directors bring expertise in their specific markets. For example, Dr Candace Kendle is an expert in the biopharmaceutical field and cofounded, and was CEO and chairman of a company. She knows what is needed in this field that UPS can provide to that sector of the market. Her insight is invaluable. Look at all the business we have now in this sphere. Look at the revenues our SCS division gets by warehousing in temperature controlled storage for pharmaceuticals. There are very very few people with this kind of knowledge and expertise. It's not like we can replace her with a kid with a BS in biology.

 

[Catatonic]

However, the question you have to ask yourself...

If you were to leave, how hard would UPS have filling your position with a person that can do your job at your pay rate (including benefitcs, pension etc)

If the answer is difficult.. then you are underpaid.
if the answer is moderate.. then pay is appropriate to demand of job
If the answer is Easy.. then you are overpaid.

That is true for pretty much everyone in every job, hourly or managment.

This is a good way of looking at it.
I was in HR at one time and I had no problem hiring very good drivers off the street with a 80% plus take rate.
Over half the part-timers did not make it ... probably way less.


Absolutely no problem hiring drivers off the street for permanent positions.
Relatively hard time hiring qualified part-timers off the street.
I know personally and from ad-hoc discussions that we are having a hard time hiring qualified management off the street in all career areas.
The increasing of the CEO salary and perks is an attempt to hire qualified CEOs from outside the company. Still a long way to go in that regard.

 

[Logb17]

When thinking about the rest of labor jobs out there, yes, we are overpaid. If we only got 40 hours a week, 32 dollars would not really go that far. It would be barely enough for a single income household. Is are job worth 32 an hour still? Id say yes if we had to pay for a our insurance and fund our retirements. 32 an hour plus all the beni's!! We have it reaaaaaaal good.

 

[TUT]

If the answer is Easy.. then you are overpaid.

I think that is too easy to state it in the manner you did. Everyone is then overpaid, because all jobs are expendable, the show must go on is saying for a reason. What man on this planet is keeping the whole thing going? I'm not aware of one.

You could take that all the way to it's conclusion to find out money isn't needed as compensation for work.

My thing is we have all this cash, which is totally man-made. Now do you want to be a dick and hoard it, flaunt it? Or do you want to share it kindly with everyone? To me the best answer is the one that brings more joy to more people.

Those at the top of UPS are making an amazing salary and living a life Kings haven't lived in the past. They still make a huge profit and they pay a large portion of their workers well. They should feel proud of that, not "how can we get more and they get less", that is a sick thought.

 

[UPSGUY72]

No not overpaid I earn every penny of the $32.26 hr I get paid.

I also don't need to justify it, if you want to work for less and do the same work your a friend--ing idiot...

 

[BMWMC]

Wow, so many post so little details.

FEDEX employees 3 drivers and 3 trucks to do what one (1) UPS driver does.

FEDEX...
Add the combined cost of paying 3 drivers, lets say, and average of $15 (wages, taxes, insurances) and hour. That's $45 and hour.
​Add the cost of trucks, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and replacement cost, lets say, and average $125,000 over a 8 years life. That's $375,000.

UPS...
$32+5 = $37 an hour. Vehicle over 8 years $125,000.

These are just ball park numbers but you can see why UPS can pay this rate to its driver and still have the highest margins of any transportation company in the known galaxy.

Comparing skills/education/supply and demand are good but what an employee earns for there company, there profit value, is also a major factor. The notion that UPS can just cast a net out into the wide world and fill there ranks overnight is absurd. If they could done that they would have already. Anybody that has done this job know its a lot more than just picking a box up here and putting it down there.


​Just look at the over the road trucker vacancies. Most people disparage truck driver for making $50-70K a year just sitting on there fanny. Yet, the turn over rate is 50% the first year and 75% in 3 years. Think the jobs is so easy and over paid? You try it then and not just to be a 30 day wonder job. Do it for 5-10-25-35 years because its that kind of experience that makes the largest share of a companies profits.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When thinking about the rest of labor jobs out there, yes, we are overpaid. If we only got 40 hours a week, 32 dollars would not really go that far. It would be barely enough for a single income household. Is are job worth 32 an hour still? Id say yes if we had to pay for a our insurance and fund our retirements. 32 an hour plus all the beni's!! We have it reaaaaaaal good.

Mine is a single income household and I live a fairly frugal lifestyle by choice, not by necessity. 25% to my 401k, $6K/year to my Roth IRA, brand new car (as of 4/20) in my parking spot with very little OT.